“I was in prison and you visited me…” (Mt. 25:36)
Sister Irene Arredondo
On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9:30 –11:30 a.m., I volunteer at Crosspoint at the Summit – our former Motherhouse building. This is a private, non-profit facility for men in the final step of transition from incarceration to life back in the community. The facility presently houses 23 veterans and 50 prisoner inmates. Since the men are allowed in the library only if there is someone there to monitor, I provide that service. When the men come in, I greet them and have them sign in. By being present in the library, I get to know them, answer their questions, or get staff to help them.
The prison inmates, since they know they must find a job before they are allowed to leave Crosspoint, come to the library primarily to look up jobs via the internet. They are all also allowed to check out books. The veterans who are housed at Crosspoint are, for the most part, homeless men waiting to qualify for government subsidized housing. I try to find opportunities to speak with all of them. I am delighted to be able to help them in any way I can in their efforts to integrate back into society as responsible citizens.
Sister Irene Arredondo
